Lenten Sarmale with Rice and Mushrooms

27 October 2026

These Romanian cabbage rolls are filled with rice, mushrooms and herbs, then simmered in tomato sauce. In Romanian they are called “sarmale de post”: a plant-based dish prepared for Lent. This UVM version makes about 20–24 rolls and uses familiar ingredients.

Makes: about 20–24 sarmale
Preparation: 35–45 minutes
Cooking: about 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

20–24 large sour cabbage leaves; chop the remaining cabbage for the pot
180 g short-grain rice, rinsed
300 g finely chopped button mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 sweet pepper, finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
300 ml passata or crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
fresh dill, black pepper and salt to taste
about 500–700 ml hot water

Method

Prepare the cabbage. Separate the leaves and trim away thick ribs. Taste a small piece. If it is very salty or sour, rinse the leaves briefly in cold water. Chop the leftover cabbage and spread some over the bottom of a large pot.
Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a pan. Cook the onion and carrot for 4–5 minutes, then add the pepper and mushrooms. Stir until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates.
Start the filling. Add the rinsed rice, tomato paste, paprika, thyme and black pepper. Stir for a minute, then add about 100 ml water. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes. The rice should still be firm because it will finish cooking in the pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill. Taste before adding salt, since sour cabbage can already be salty. Let the filling cool.
Roll. Place about a spoonful of filling on each leaf and roll it loosely. The rice expands as it cooks. Tuck the ends of each leaf in gently.
Simmer. Arrange the rolls seam-side down in layers over the chopped cabbage. Cover with the remaining cabbage and pour over the tomato sauce. Add hot water until it comes close to the top layer without covering the rolls completely. Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 1 hour 45 minutes. Check the liquid occasionally and add a little hot water if needed. The sarmale are ready when the rice is tender and the cabbage leaves cut easily.

Sour cabbage varies in saltiness, so taste a small piece before seasoning the filling. If it is very salty, rinse the leaves briefly; a long soak can wash away too much of their flavour.

Tips

Do not pack the filling tightly or overfill the leaves: the rice needs room to expand. Smaller leaves need less filling. If using fresh cabbage, blanch the leaves briefly so they bend without tearing. For a deeper mushroom flavour, replace some fresh mushrooms with rehydrated dried mushrooms, adding them gradually so they do not overpower the filling.

Serve warm with polenta and fresh dill. The final number depends on the size of the cabbage leaves and how large you roll each piece.